Ignition apparatus for internal-combustion engines



C. T. MASON.

IGNITION APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL comsusnow ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- I. 1920.

PatentedSept. 13, 1921.

Z SHEETSSHEET I.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-1.1920.

PatentedSept. 13, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES THOMAS MASON, OF SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO SPLI'I'DORF ELECTRICAL COMPANY, OF NEVTABK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF- NEW JERSEY.

IGNITION APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed November 18, 1918, Serial No. 263,027. Divided and this application filed Octobe! 1, 1920. Serial No. 414,052,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. Mason, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sumter in the county of Sumter, State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ignition Apparatus for Internal-Combustion Engines,of'

which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon. j

The invention relates to' new and useful improvements in an ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines, and more particularly to the manner of supporting the generating coil, and providing the distributer which is associated therewith.

An object of the invention is to provide a magneto electric device for an ignition system wherein the generating C01l, the condenser, and the distributer points are all mounted on a unitary structure so that said parts may be removed as a unit and replaced in the magneto at will.

A further object of the invention is to provide a distributor for a magneto ignition device which includes a set of contacts connected to the generating winding of the magneto, and a second set of contacts associated therewith, and an oscillating means for connecting a contact of the first set with a contact of the second set, and then the othercontact of the first set with the other contact of the second set.

- These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a magneto electric generator having division. The magneto generator'includes a supporting base. 1 on whichis mounted a permanent magnet 2. -A rotor 3 is preferably connected to the engine shaft so as to rotate at half speed and this rotor. is carried by the shaft 4 which runs in ball bearings 5 and 6. The ball bearing 5 is mounted in a holder 7 while the ballbearing 6 is mounted in the holder 8. Suitably mounted on the base 1 are pole pieces 9 and 10. These pole pieces support a core 11, on which is mounted a primary generating coil 12 and a secondary generating coil 13. Associated with the generating CO1lS and supported by structures carried by the core 11. is a condenser 14:. The core is removably' secured to the pole pieces 9' and 10, so that the generating coil may be readily removed from the magneto and when the coil is removed the condenser will be removed therewith.

The pole pieces 9 and 10 are provided with pole faces 15 and 16, which cooperate with the lobes of the rotor. The rotor 3 is provided with two pairs of lobes 18, 19, and 20,

21. The rotor turns in the direction of the arrow, as indicated in the figures of the center is 180 where X is the angular displacement between the engine cylinders. The S. lobes are similarly disposed. When the rotor is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the lobes 18 and 20 are breaking from the pole faces 15 and l6,'respectively, and at. this time there is a maximum current gen eration in the primary coil. An interrupter is in circuit with the primary coil and isso timed as to break the circuit just at this maximum period of current generation.

The interrupter is shown more or less diagrammatically in the drawings and consists of a cam 22, mounted on the shaft 4, which operates on a fiber block 23, carried by an arm 24, on which is mounted one of the contacts 25 of the interrupter. The other contact 26 of the interrupter is stationary. The primary circuit is indicated at P in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and it will -be noted that this primary c rcuit is connected to the fixed contact of the interrupter. The other con tact of the interrupter is grounded. In Fig. 3 of the drawings, the cam 22 turns in the direction of the arrow and is about to lift the arm 24 and separate the contacts to break the primary circuit. This occurs, as above noted, just as the lobes 18 and 20 are breaking away from the pole faces 15 and 16.

Also, associated with the rotor, as above noted, is a distributer. This distributer includes a lever 27, which is mounted on a hardened steel pin 28, carried by the hearing holder 7. The lever 27 is actuated by an eccentric 29, carried by the shaft 4. Adjacent the upper end of the lever 27 there is a metallic strip 30, which is adapted to coiiperate with the pins 31 and 32. Also carried by this lever 27 is a metallic strip 33, which .is adapted to cobperate with the pins 34 and 35. These pins are mounted in a fiber block, which is mounted on a single structure supported by the core of the coil, so that the fiber block, the coil and the condenser are all removed as a unit without requiring any disconnection of the pins in the fiber block with the generating coil. 'The pins 31 and 34 are connected to a bar 36, which in turn is connected to the secondary generating coil. The pin 32 is connected to a terminal 37 "which in turn is connected with one of the spark plugs and the pin 35 is connected with a terminal 38, which in turn is connected with the other spark plug. The two spark plugs are indicated at S and S, in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Inasmuch as the lever'27 is swung by an eccentric member and the metallic strips 30 and 33 will yield to a certain extent after brought into engagement with the pins, this lever 27 is so timed as to swing into contact with the pins first to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3 and then the pins at the left, and will remain in contact with said ins during a considerable time interval. n other words, the eccentric is at a dwell, so far as movement is imparted to the lever 27, while the metal strips are in contact with the pins. This long time interval permits a wide range in the time interval of the spark. Furthermore, inasmuch as the circuit between the secondary coil and the spark plug S, for instance in Fig. 3, is broken at two points, the

spark, in order to jump to the wrong cylinder, must cross this double air gap and this insures that the spark will pass to the right cylinder only, even though the lever 27 be given a comparatively short swing.

The parts are shown in position in Fig. 3 for producing the sparkat the spark plug S", and the contacts are just about to separate to interrupt the primary circuit to bring about the spark at this plug. When the rotor turns through a partial rotation, so as to bring the lobe 18 into position to break away from the pole face 15, the lobe eeann turned through an angular distance from the position shown in Fig. 3 of 180- and the interrupter cam is in position so as to separate the contacts 25 and 26 and break the primary circuit. At this time the lever 27 is shifted to the extreme left-hand position and the metallic strip 33 is in contact with the pins 34 and 35, so that a spark is produced at this time at the spark plug S. A continued movement of the rotor brings the lobe 19 to a position where it breaks away from the pole face 15, but at this time the interru ter is closed and no spark is produced. hen the rotor turns to the position shown in Fig. 3, it has turned through an angle of 180 from the position of last spark. It will thus be seen that b the positioning of the lobes of the rotor, am able to secure an intermittent completing of the path of the flux rotated by the rotor through the generating coil at unequal angular intervals and also at angular intervals corresponding to the angular intervals between the cylinders in the engine. It will also be noted that the generating coil is stationary and may be readily removed with the condenser and the distributer terminals without disconnecting any parts thereof.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. An ignition generating device com- 119 prising a rotor, pole pieces associated with the rotor, a core mounted on the pole pieces,

a generating coil mounted on the core, a distributer including a vibrating lever, pins associated with said vibrating lever and connected with the generating coil, means for supporting said pins, said supporting means for the pins being carried by a structure supported on the core, whereby the generating coil and the distributer pins may be re- 120 moved as a unit.

2. In a magneto generator, a distributer comprising a set of contacts, a generating winding connected thereto, a second set of contacts associated with the first named set of contacts, and oscillating means for connecting one of the first mentioned contacts with one of said second mentioned contacts.

3. In a magneto generator, a distributer comprising a set of contacts, a generating winding connected thereto, a second set of contacts associated with the first named set of contacts,la'nd oscillating means for connecting a contact of the first set with a contact of the second set and then the other contact of the first set with the other contact of the second set.

4. In a magneto generator, at distributer comprisinga set of contacts, a generating winding connected thereto, a second set of contacts associated with the first named set of contacts, and oscillating means for connecting one of the first mentioned contacts with one of said second mentioned contacts, said oscillating means including a ivoted lever, an eccentric for oscillating-sai lever,

and yielding means carried by the lever for engaging the contacts. i

5. In amagneto generator, a distributer comprising a plurality of contacts, a generating winding connected thereto, a plurality of terminals and a contact associated with each one, oscillating means for connecting a contact leading to the generating winding with a vcontact leading to a tenninal,-said oscillating means including a pivoted lever, an eccentric for oscillating the lever, and yielding members carried by the lever and operating alternately to bridge the contacts.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES THOMAS MASON. 

